Jesus!!! Driving to Playa

Jesus,

Ayudame por favor. We're driving to Playa from the US and will be coming to Mexico city from the north on highway 57. We want to get to Puebla. Could you give me the best way to get through Mexico City without getting lost? Any landmarks, names of streets would be helpful.

Muchas gracias.

Oops did I put this on the wrong board? I'm still confused about where to post things.

[james]

also probably best to send a PM instead of posting to an individual, per our guidelines

[Jesus]

I will give the long answer later, but just to begin, we in Mexico DON'T use the highway numbers at all, they are good for tourist looking at maps, but nobody would understand what you are asking for, so while in Mexico you need to refer to highways by origin destination or just destination (if you are in the city, like Carretera a Cancun if you are in Merida, but not if you are in Mexico city). Ok, after that, 57 is the one connecting Queretaro and Mexico city, that one is easy but as you begin to enter the monster you will have more and more trouble as you will notice a big lack of signeage all over the country.

The most straight route will be using the highway and keep in the central lanes and don't leave it until you see the exit for "VIADUCTO", for this to happen you will pass a big dome on your left painted blue; a big sign saying 'BIENVENIDOS AL DISTRITO FEDERAL" running all the lines wide; a huge Mexican flag on your right in the exit to "Ejercito Nacional"; a great wooden Roller Coaster with some brightly colored buildings at the Chapultepec Park, right after that you will need to be on the rightmost lane and fiercely looking for "VIADUCTO" you will pass UNDER the main way wich you were traveling and is called Periferico.
After that you will keep on the left lane all the way until you see "PUEBLA", choose Puebla Cuota.

I recomend that you arrive in Mexico city after Noon, as the way in gets so bottlenecked in the mornings that just from the Toll Booth to the Chapultepec park will take you 2 hours and a half versus less than one hour in non rush hour.

Last idea: you are very brave!!!

Jesus, muchas gracias. Eres muy amable!

Is the time problem going to be the same even on a Sunday as well? Is it as bad on Saturdays too? What about the restrictions on the car license numbers? My car number ends in 4.

I'm printing this stuff up Senor, and I just know we'll be alright. If we're not, I'll be asking for Jesus all over el DF There should be several million hombres con ese nombre, verdad? But only one that hangs out on the Playa forum...I think.

Oh, yes we are very brave. That's a nice way to put it. Our friends and family think we're quite mad...this might be the truth though.

Actually my husband would have preferred to fly but my son and daughter are more like me in that we wanted to see the 'real' Mexico again. I love Playa and the surrounding areas, but it just isn't like I'm truly in Mexico.

Hasta luego!

Originally Posted by james

also probably best to send a PM instead of posting to an individual, per our guidelines

My apologies sir. I did think of a PM but wasn't sure if others might have been interested in the same information. I tried to edit the title of the thread but it didn't work. Was going to make it more 'general.' Could you do that please? Thanks.